Miss Erika
Miss Erika is the leader of our ballet program. She teaches ballet, pointe, lyrical, contemporary, and modern - as well as tap and jazz!
Miss Erika has seven years of experience performing, teaching and judging in New York City! As a performer, she was seen as Enid Hoopes on the International Tour of “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” making stops in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore. She is a proud member of Actors Equity Association. As a teacher, she has been on faculty with AMDA New York’s College/Conservatory, AMDA New York’s High School Summer Conservatory and The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. As a dance competition judge, Miss Erika has been welcomed onto the panel at World Dance Championship, World Dance Pageant, Artists Simply Human, REVEL, StarQuest, In10sity, and OnStage America - as well as with the Miss America Organization! She has experience as a head judge and a teacher judge.
Miss Erika is a graduate of the Professional Semester at Broadway Dance Center and the Dance Theatre Conservatory at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (“AMDA”), both in New York City.
She one of the leaders of our Stars Competition Team! She is proud to have her soloists, duos, trios, and groups being recognized regularly for their performances at competition! Miss Erika’s students regularly win titles, overall high score awards, and technique awards. She is also our competition team’s modeling teacher, and she has coached every single modeling student she’s taught to win a title!
Alongside teaching, Miss Erika is currently completing her undergraduate education with The University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Leadership. She also enjoys watching game shows, going to the movies, seeing theatre, and traveling!
Miss Hilary
Miss Hilary is the leader of our hip-hop program. She teaches hip-hop - as well as tap, jazz and ballet. She is also the teacher for our adult classes!
Miss Hilary studied at Berks County’s Marie Shaw School of Dance for 15 years and worked as an assistant teacher for 3 years. She also trained annually at the New York City Dance Alliance. She is experienced in jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, pointe, hip-hop, partnering and musical theatre.
She has performed as a part of the Reading Phillies Dance Team, the Reading Express Smokinʼ Hot Steam Team and the Reading Raptors Spirit Squad. Her performance career also includes shows at the Rainbow Dinner Theatre and the Blatt Dinner Theatre.
She has been teaching dance for a total of 27 years, with 15 of those years at The Dance Gallery!
When Miss Hilary is not at the studio, she loves to hike, bike, kayak, and ski!
Miss Jess
Miss Jess is the leader of our acro program. She teaches acro - as well as tap and jazz!
Miss Jess has been dancing since she was 3 years old at local Berks County studios, including The Dance Gallery! She began assistant teaching when she was 14 and was given her first teaching opportunity at 16.
She is our resident acro specialist, but is also highly skilled in tap, jazz, musical theatre, and pantomime! She is one of the leaders of the Stars Competition Team. She has trained students who have been successful in pageants, theaters, and local dance teams. Her work has won choreography awards, top high score awards, and specialty awards at multiple dance competitions. She pushes her students to accomplish their goals through creativity, fun, and a lot of hard work!
Miss Jess has her Master’s Degree in School Counseling from Kutztown University. Aside from teaching dance, she is a Guidance Counselor at Muhlenberg Elementary Center. She also loves spending time at the beach and being with her family and friends!
Miss Leila
Miss Leila is the leader of our tap/jazz combination program. She specializes in tap and jazz!
Miss Leila began dancing when she was 3 years old at a studio in her hometown in Southern New Jersey. There, she trained in a variety of styles of dance including jazz, tap, lyrical, and ballet. She was a member of her studio’s competition team, which provided her with opportunities to perform at competitions, community events and dance conventions. While attending college at Temple University, she had the opportunity to take jazz classes, helping broaden her knowledge of the style.
She is our resident specialist for young and new dancers. She is also one of the leaders of the Stars Competition Team. Over the years, she has lead her hard-working students to win high score awards, entertainment awards, and other specialty awards at a variety of dance competitions.
Miss Leila has her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Temple University. In addition to teaching dance, she is a 1st grade teacher at Muhlenberg Elementary Center. She also enjoys spending time with her family and traveling!
Miss Dalhendji
Miss Daljendji teaches ballet!
Miss Dalhendji grew up dancing at The Dance Gallery. In her time at The Dance Gallery, she was an incredibly successful competitive dancer. As a member of the Stars Competition Team, she received countless titles, overall high score awards, and special awards. She was the back-to-back overall technique award winner for APA Dance Challenge's 2023 and 2024 seasons. She competed as a model and went undefeated in titling for her entire career! She also has experience in pageants; she was crowned Miss Greater Reading's Outstanding Teen in 2023 and placed Top 8 at Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen 2023.
Miss Dalhendji has experience in the leading classroom, having assisted Miss Erika in her last two years as a student. She also speaks fluent French (in addition to English and 2 other languages), and she is incredibly knowledgeable about ballet terminology. She is a thorough, detailed, and nurturing teacher.
Miss Dalhendji is in her freshman year at Alvernia University, majoring in nursing. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, helping raise her four younger brothers. She also actively participates in local cultural festivals, engaging the local Haitian community!
Miss Julia
Miss Julia teaches acro!
Miss Julia started off her dancing career at The Dance Gallery and graduated from our acro program! During her high school years, she was offered opportunities to student teach with Miss Jess. She is currently in her junior year at Kutztown University, where she is a student athlete in the Acrobatics & Tumbling program. Miss Julia also participates in running acro camps for young boys and girls. She is passionate about helping young athletes grow!
Miss Julia is currently attending Kutztown University where she studies Early Education along with Special Education. She enjoys fitness and strength conditioning, along with staying active!
Miss Shelbi
Miss Shelbi teaches hip-hop, as well as specializing in our classes for our newest youngest dancers - Creative Movement and Tiny Tumblers!
Miss Shelbi has been dancing for 15 years, with 9 years at The Dance Gallery! During her high school years, she was given the opportunity to assist Miss Hilary and Miss Leila as a student teacher. She joined our teaching staff her senior year of high school! In her time at The Dance Gallery, she was an active member of the Stars Competition Team. Miss Shelbi is an incredible mentor to our young dancers, and the kids love to look up to her!
Miss Shelbi is in her freshman year at Alvernia University, majoring in Early Childhood Education K-4 and Special Education K-12. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, lifeguarding, and coaching diving.
Miss Deb
Miss Deb is our fearless and dedicated owner!
Miss Deb has been a part of The Dance Gallery since 1998, when her daughter, Miss Erika, became at student! She has owned and operated The Dance Gallery since 2009. Miss Deb has been around dance for over 25 years - and she works hard behind the scenes so our teachers and students have the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed in the classroom and on stage!
Miss Deb has her Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from Penn State University. She has been the CEO at a local credit union for over 35 years. She is a dedicated and hard-working businesswoman.
Miss Deb goes above and beyond for others so they have the opportunity to shine!
Miss Sue
Office Staff
Every night of the week, you’ll be greeted by Miss Sue in the office. Most of our students and staff lovingly call her “Nana,” and you can too!
Nana has been a part of The Dance Gallery since it was under its original ownership in the 80’s. Her daughter danced at The Dance Gallery, and now her granddaughter is one of our students! Nana is passionate about dance and the lifelong benefits a child receives from a dance education. She loves sewing costumes, attending dance competitions and recitals, and seeing the studio full of young children learning to love dance!
Nana is available to help you in most ways you’ll need while you’re family attends classes at the studio.
Outside of the studio, Nana is also a paraprofessional for the Schuylkill Valley School District. She loves spending time with her husband, two daughters, and four grandchildren!